Seed potato cutting machine



Nov. 2, 1948. L. v. UGLow SEED POTATO CUTTING MACHINE 2 Shee'ts-.Sheet 1 Filed May 15, 1947 INVENTOR..

l y Lm vaLow BY e 2 Hmm/EY Nov. 2, 1948. l.. v. `QGLOW SEED POTATO CUTTING MACHINE Filed May 13, 19447 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. L.V.UGLOW vPatented Nov. 2, 194g UNITEDl STATES PATENT f OFFICE sEED PoTATo CUTTING MACHINE Lenaard V. Uglow, Minatare, Nebr. Application May 13, 1947, serial 10.747361 (ci. 14s-163) 3 Claims.

l l This invention relates to farm machineryy in general, and more specifically, aims to provide a power-driven machine for cutting seed potatoes which is efficient, useful, and practical.

Another object of the invention is the'provision of a potato-cutting machine which is simple in construction and operation as well as inexpensive in cost of manufacture.

When preparingto plant potatoes, the seedA nor intended to limit the inventionto any or allV of the specific details of construction shown, exceptingk insofar as they maybe deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the'seed potato cutter.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the device with parts broken away and parts shown in phantom. n

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. I.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. V1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the cutting blades of the device.

Fig.,7 is a fragmentary sectionalv view taken on theline 1-'-1 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral I indicates a substantially rectangular box-like frame of suitable material such as, for instance, metal sheets or plates, comprising upright side Walls II, I2, I3, and I4 rigidly attached to corner uprights I forming the corners of the frame Il] and a floor plate I6 substantially of the ladder-shaped conformation shown in Fig. 3, rigidly mounted on the lower edges of the side walls II and I2.

Uprights I1, I8, I9, and 20, substantially U-shaped in cross-section are rigidly mounted to the inner sides of the walls II, I2, I3, and I4, respectively, substantially on the center lines 2 thereof and extend upward above these walls. Intermediate the height of the uprights a substantially hexagonal framev 2I is rigidly mounted. A cutting element 2 2 comprises four blades 23 `disposed. cross-fashion, and having their cutting edges 24 positioned in substantially V-shaped conformation each pair of juxtaposed cutting edges forming one arm of a V, the planes of the Vs being substantially at right `angles to each `other vand both Vs having their apexes ata cornmon point. At 4the apex of the Vs the blades 23 are joined by means of, for instance welding, shown at 25a. The cutting element 22 is mounted on the frame 2| by the rear extremities of the blades 23 registering between angle irons 25, and suitably attached therein as by bolts, or the like.

A third frame 26 having four vertical openings or slots 21 therethrough, in substantially crossshaped conformation, is rigidly mounted on the uprights I1, I8, I9, and 20 above and in parallel spacedrelationship with the frame 2 I. Each slot 21 has a pair of pulleys 28 rigid on an axle 29 rotatably mounted in and passing through the opposed side walls 30 of the slots 21.` On the extremities of the axles 29 and adjacent the outer surface of the sidewall-s 30, bevel gears-3l, Sla, 3Ib, 3io, 3Id, 3Ie, 3If, and 3Iy are rigidly mounted, each gear meshing with the gear adjacent thereto. One of the axles 29 is provided with an extension 33 integral therewith which is adapted to be connected to and rotated by a power source, not shown.

A second array of four pairs of pulleys 32 identical to the pairs of pulleys 28, are loosely mounted in vertical alignment with the pulleys 28 on the offset axles 34aJ of crankshafts 34 hav-V the same horizontal plane as the blades 23. A.

crank arm 35 is rigidly secured to one extremity of each of the crankshafts 34. Coiled springs 36, each having one lend connected to the end of a lever 35 and the other end anchored to the frame IB, normally urge the cranks 34 and hence the pulleys 32 inwardly toward the cutting blades.

Below the pulleys 32 and in substantially vertically alignment therewith, a third set of four pairs of pulleys 31 are mounted in yokes 38 which are resiliently connected to the floor plate I6 by means of tension springs 39. Each vertical line of pulleys 28, 32, and 31 is connected by a belt 40 which may be of any suitable material including a resilient material, such as, for instance, rubber.

lThe outer surface of the belts may be corrugated or roughened, not shown.

Clockwise motion, Figs. 1 and 2, of the drive shaft extension 33 rotates its pulleys 28 and hence drives the belts connecting the pulleys 28 with the pulleys 32 and 31, the inner side of the belt moving in a downward direction. Gears 3| and 3|a are rotated on the shaft 29, and mesh with gears 3|b and 3|, respectively. Gear 3| meshes with and rotates gear 3| y which rotates its axle and pulleys and also the gear 3 |f on the other end 'of its axle. Gear 3 Ib rotates its axle, pulleys, and gear 3|c on the other end of its axle. Gear 3|c meshes with and rotates gear 3|d and gear 3| f' meshes with and rotates gear 3'|'e,` both gears 3|d and 3|e combining to rotate their common axle 29 and the pulleys 28 thereon. The belts 4U,

connecting each vertical line oLpulleys, are.l

the sides ofthe beltsadjaeent the center of the -1 machine are 'moving' ina downward direction. The" potatoes, not shown, are introduced in single lein'to vthe'top Vof the machinerin Vthe lspace Ibetween the' belts "and for this purposea chute, not

shown, might beprovided". The potatoes are then singly gripped frictiorially between the beltsV and driven downward past the'cutting edges 24, where they are cutinto quarters. Thecut'pieces of the potatoes, notshoitn, then falldownward and through thespae' 4| inthe floor plate 'IIB into a container, which may be a sack or box, not shown.Y

Since a continuous supply of potatoes is fed into the machine, out into quarters, and discharged through the'botto'm thereof, it is obvious that the machine does the Work ofvseveral people when cutting the potatoes by hand.

Obviously, modifications. in form and structure may be made without departing from the' spirit andzscope of the'ifnvention. Y

'Ilclaim:

l. A machine comprising an upright frame having four oppbsed walls and ancor, said frame* having a horizontal frame Vmember Von the top thereof, said top fra'lfneY member havingintersec'ting verticaliopenings'therethrough in the form of Y a cross thereby providing four corridor-like'slots and a central space between the juxtaposed ends of -said slots, each of 'saidslots having a horizontal shaft mounted in the opposed walls thereof# and projecting through said walls, the

extremitiesofsaid shafts having bevel gears rigid thereon, each ofsaidgears beingl in mesh with the adjacent gear of the adjacent of said shafts, each of said shafts having a pulley rigid thereon be thereon, resilient means normally positioning.

said crank axles above said common plane and urging the same inward toward each other, four yokes having the arms thereof extending upward, said vyoll'es being positioned in a common horizontal plane under said rst-named horizontal plane' and ybeing substantially in vertical alignmentv with said second-named four pulleys, said yokes having pulleys loosely mounted therein, eachA 'of said yokes having a coiled spring secured by one end thereto, the other end of each of said springs being vse'cured'to said floor, a belt trained about each of said first-namedplleys and that one 'of said last-named pulleysfinwertical alignment therewith,'e'ach"o`f said second-amedpulleys being positioned'between the sides of one'of saidbelts 'and by'virtue'of 'said resilient meansl being urged against that 'side"'o'fth'efbeltu which is adjacent an 'imaginary vertical line drawn through the center of" said space, said resilient means' therebyl urging said side'of each blt 'toi' ward said center lire, a cross-shapedcutterframe rigidly mountedv in said frame between'sai'd rst! named and said last-named pulleys, one of said r'stnamed shafts'havingV an dextension theren adapted to be rotated to actuater the? machine,

said extension :being adapted to be rotated'finfsuch direction thaty the 'mutually juxtaposed sides ofi said belts are moved ina downward directionQand said cutter member having bladesy thereonn'posij tioned vunder said space.

2. The machineY set forth'y in claim 1, each offsaid crank shafts having a'crankarmu orifthe extremity thereof, said resilient* means compris- REFERENCES CITED. The following references are of record in the nie of this? patent:

angesagtesten@ `Number Name Date 555,918. Ayer Mar. 10., 1896 1,064,531 Ott June 10,1913` 1,878,423, Nowlin SeptQZO, 1932 1,961,009 Nachtigal Mayr29, `1934 

